On Monday, we heard that Japanese baseball star Kazuma Okamoto is in the United States for face-to-face meetings with Major League Baseball teams. The free agent has until Jan. 4 to sign, so the urgency is certainly picking up.

The Toronto Blue Jays are just one of the teams connected to Okamoto, who is one of the hottest commodities available on the free agent market this offseason, especially from the position player side.

About Okamoto

A questionable defender who can play first or third base, Okamoto is better known for his bat. About to turn 30 years old, he's a .277 career hitter in the NPB with 248 home runs. He makes exceptional contact and only struck out 11.3 percent of the time in 2025.

He also helped Team Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic, pairing with the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Munetaka Murakami. 

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How does he fit with the Blue Jays? 

As we saw in the World Series, the Blue Jays are predicated on an ability to make contact, not strike out, and do damage with the longball. Okamoto helps in all three of those areas, and he had an 11.3 percent walk rate in 2025. There's no doubt that he would help the Blue Jays lineup as they chase the World Series in 2026, but there are real questions about how they'd slot him in.

As noted by MLBTradeRumors, Okamoto is expected to play a lot of first base and designated hitter in the States. That wouldn't work for Toronto, who has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first and needs to use Anthony Santander and George Springer at DH.

So, they could put him at third, hurting the team's defense, and they could slide Ernie Clement to second base. OK, but then that closes the door on a Bo Bichette reunion, does it not?

Furthermore, if Okamoto is playing third and Clement is at second, then that means that Addison Barger is in right field. That would close the book on a Kyle Tucker signing, would it not?

Unless....

We've raised this question before and we'll raise it again. Is there any chance that the Jays could actually move on from Santander just one year into a five-year deal worth $92+ million? It seems farfetched, but for a team with a lot of money and an intense desire to get back to the World Series, anything is possible.

Other offseason news and notes

--The Blue Jays have also been linked to third baseman Yoan Moncada, but if they sign Okamoto, they would seem to be out on him as well. The same would apply to Alex Bregman, who they've also been connected to.

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